Catching Up at Evelyn’s

Evelyn’s Cafe Bar, Manchester

If you’re a fan of my foodie posts, you’ve probably spotted Evelyn’s on here before. It’s one of the small number of restaurants that I enjoy visiting so much that I come back again & again, whatever the occasion.

This time there was no occasion in particular, other than my regular catch-ups with one of my favourite people, Ros (or Rosaleen if we’re being all fancy).

But then again, there kind of was, because we knew this would be our last catch-up before something pretty major happened in her life. Ros had a baby girl on Wednesday 30th November! Don’t… I know, it’s pretty emotional and crazy and amazing. A mini version of one of my favourite people.

We were meant to go for pizza but unfortunately Rudy’s and PLY were both way too busy, as it was a Friday night, and we decided to follow our rumbling tummies to Evelyn’s instead.

So even though there wasn’t a special occasion as such, it was a pretty significant moment for our friendship and we couldn’t have picked a better place than Evelyn’s for it really.

When you enter Evelyn’s, you immediately relax. That same feeling when you’re at a bestie’s house and you know you can leave all your problems at the door, get comfortable and eat all your favourite foods!

There’s plants everywhere, cosy seating, stripy straws, copper salt & pepper pots and a few jars of sweets that you probably can’t reach. The tunes are tunes, not just background music, so you might find yourself singing along to one at any moment during your meal. It feels like a Friday night out in a way, but not loud and in your face.

We obviously kicked off our wild Friday night with some non-alcoholic elderflower lemonade, which turned out to be really good choice. Refreshing and beautiful to look at too!

The Starters

I haven’t been to Evelyn’s since March, but it was great to see that the head chef, Byron Moses, had given the menu a seasonal refresh. Even though some of my favourite dishes weren’t there anymore, there was a huge list of dishes that had the potential to be new favourites.

We started off with some nibbles. Smashed avocado, pickled chilli & crackers for me and the cheese breadsticks with a tomato salsa dip. I think we both preferred the breadsticks, as like most of the food at Evelyn’s, they tasted fresh and homemade. Perhaps a little chilli kick would have been good in the dip (for me, not Ros though!) but other than that, a good start.

The Mains

For mains, we both went with the super healthy option of burgers *ahem*. Mine was a crab & shrimp burger, with basil aioli, chilli, fennel and chips. This was such a good alternative to a beef burger and felt even more filling. The flavours were all spot on and I struggled to finish it all, which I think is always a good sign!

Even though it was under the sandwiches section, I don’t think Ros was expecting her vegetable samosa to turn up sandwiched in between a burger bun. Nevertheless, it was a strange combination that just worked. She, on the other hand, did not struggle to finish this one. Not sure whether to blame the great food or the hungry baby for that one!

Oh and the chips were incredible. I’ve eaten a lot of chips (trust me) and they were just perfect. I kept eating them way after I was full. Get the chips or the homefries with your meal and you won’t be disappointed.

The Dessert

To finish off we had a new addition to the menu, the chai tiramisu. Oh my god. It doesn’t look up to much, but it was served from a huge dish at our table and it was everything a tiramisu should be. Super creamy with a kick of coffee and a hint of spices.

We practically rolled out of the place, but I’m pretty sure if we’d have given it half an hour, we could’ve had another portion of that tiramisu. True commitment to desserts.

You can find the full menu and book your table on the Evelyn’s Cafe Bar website here.